The Thick of It: Series 4, Episode 6 (2012)

 

This is an interesting episode.  Now that things have hit the fan, we see everyone going on the defensive.  The characters are largely separated from one another, and each faces an individual barrage of assaults.  Lies are told, fingers are pointed, and betrayals are committed.  Robyn is fantastically clueless, Stewart proves himself 100% incapable of speaking like a normal person, and Glenn reaches his tipping point.

 

Malcolm is in the same boat as everyone else.  Because he’s Malcolm, he has his usual moments of running the show, audacious and cocksure.  He does his dangerous-animal-backed-into-a-corner thing – he pulls a truly cold-blooded stunt in this episode to facilitate his own political survival.  He has a scene of genuine anger unlike his trademark profanity-fueled ranting, an honest-to-goodness argument calling someone out for what he considers reprehensible behavior.  And there are also moments where Malcolm is surprisingly without recourse; it’s pretty shocking to see him at a loss for words.

 

Great acting overall.  Considering the fact that the cast is so divided here, and so no one is playing off their usual scene partners, everyone’s character holds up remarkably well.  PC is particularly good.  It feels like he shows at least three different faces of Malcolm each time he appears onscreen, but each one rings true to the Malcolm I’ve gotten to know.  Really topnotch work.

 

Since I’m finishing The Thick of It tomorrow, I’ll make mention of one final character here.  Adam Kenyon wasn’t a new character made for series 4 – he first appeared in the 2007 specials as a newspaper editor – but series 4 finds him having made a move into politics, serving as an advisor to Fergus in the coalition.  He strikes me as being a “cool jock” archetype written as an adult politico.  He’s smug and self-impressed, and he and Phil are constantly sniping at one another.

 

One episode left:  until tomorrow!